Article trimming and slicing machine



1932 G. SHARPE 1,871,091

ARTICLE TRIMMING AND SLICING MACHINE Filed Nov. 1, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet l dtkomqu g 9, 1932- G. SHARPE ARTICLE TRIMMING AND SLICING MACHINE Filed Nov. 1, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 3mg J JKM/k 9, 1932- l. e. SHARPE 1,871,091

ARTICLE TRIMMING AND SLIGING MACHINE Filed Nov. l, 1930 4 Shee1zs-Sheet 5 Fig, 3 7 33 Aug. 9, 1932. G. SHARPE ARTICLE TRIMMING AND SLICING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Shet 4 Filed Nov. 1. 1930 Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE IRA G. SHARPE, OF LIBERTY CENTER, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE KRAUT MACHINERY? LI COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA ARTICLE TRIMMING- AND SLICINGMAOI-IINE:

. Application filed November 1,1930. Serial No. 492,628.

This invention relates to machines for slicing and trimming articles such as pickles, and an object is to produce asimple and eflicient machine of this character which is operable alternately to trim the ends of the article, and subsequently to slice the article into apredetermined number ofparts, Although in no limiting sense he lnventlon 1s particularly applicable in the trimming and slicing of pickles; the invention contemplates a machine to which pickles are fed and which operates automatically first to trim the ends and then to sever the pickle into slices.

An illustrated embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawlngs, 1n which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the mach ne;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevatlon of a portion of the machine showing the trimming mechanism;

Fig. 4: is a view substantially on the line 14 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation substantlally on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a carrler unit; and I Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of the drlvmg clutch.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a frame 1 on which is journaled a transverse shaft 2. Loosely mounted on the shaft 2 isan endless carrier in the form of a wheel 3, detailed description of which will hereinafter appear. As shown in Fig. 7 a clutch disc 4 is secured to the shaft 2'by aset screw 5, and surrounding the disc 1 is a brake band 6 secured by bolts and nuts-7 to a worm wheelS. The worm wheel 8 meshes with a worm 9 mounted on a hori- 'zontal shaft 10, which is driven from an electric motor 11 by a belt connection 12. v

The above described driving arrangement for the carrier 3 is such that should the carrier encounter a resistance in excess of predetermined maximum the worm wheel 8 will rotate independently of the driving disc a, the friction band 6 serving as the driving connection between the parts and permitting such relative movement.

Mounted on the periphery of the carrier Wheel '3 is a plurality of carrier units, each unit consisting of'a. seriesof laterally spaced substantially triangularly shaped plates 14, the forward edge 15 thereof being substantially vertical and therearward edge 16 being rearwardly and downwardly inclined',

as shown in Fig. 6. The space formed between adjacent carrier units 13 provides a pocket to receive a pickle or other article to be trimmed and sliced. The articles may in'the first instance be dumped on a table 17 mounted on the frame -1, and as the car rier units revolve the operator places one article in each of thepockets formed between adjacent carrier units.

During the travel of the articles from the table 17 mechanism'first operates to trim the ends thereof. As will hereinafter appear, first one end of anarticle is trimmed, and thereafter the opposite end is trimmed. Means are provided for axially shifting the article from one side of the respective'pocket tothe opposite side thereof after one end is trimmed so, as to properly position the 0pposite end and with respect'to the cutting mechanism. f

As shown,a knife blade 18 is carried by a bracket 19 fixed to a supporting frame 20 rising from the mainframe 1, and is positioned adjacent the outer end of the carrier wheel 3. The operator places anfarticlein a pocket so that one end projects slightly beyondjthe outerend thereof so that during the travel the end thereof is trimmed by the knife blade 18. The trimmed end of the article drops by gravity into a chute 21 which extends downwardly, and beneath which a receptacle may be placed to receive such ends. r

In order to shift the articles in, the pockets endwise thereof so that the opposite end of each article may be subsequently trimmed, a plunger 22 is provided for each pocket andcis adapted to move longitudinally of the pocket, being guided in such movement by a supporting bracket 23 carried by the carrier wheel3. Depending from an intermediate point on each plungerf22" is a pin 24, which, in approaching the knife-blade sition by a coil spring 27 The arm 26 serves to cam the plungers 22 inwardly of the'pockets, and thereby impart endwise movement to the'articles positioned therein.

The articles are thus successively shifted longitudinally into engagement withv a stop plate 28 so that the oppositeends may be trimmed by a knife blade 28'disposed on the opposite side of the carrier wheel 3 and mounted QI1 a, stationary bracket 29. The ends trimmed by the knifeblade 28 drop into a chute 30" from which they are discharged. It will be apparent that the trimming operations are entirely automatic, and

after one end is trimmed the article is abruptly shifted, and then the opposite end is trimmed.

As the carrier wheel 3 continues its movement the pins 24: of the plungers 22 successively engage a cam plate 30, which serves to cam theplungers outwardly away from the carrier units 13. The articles which have now been trimmed are ready to be cut into slices. .For this purpose a series of stationary knife blades 31 carried by bracket plates 32 mounted on the main frame, 1 are arranged in staggered formation. As clearly shown in Fig. 2, the advanced blades are disposed close together and succeeding blades arranged in step formation and in pairs are disposed in rear of the advanced pair. The blades 31 are arranged to pass through the spaces between the carrier plates 14, and during such movement sever the article'disposed inthe pockets between adjacent carrier units 13. It will be apparent thatthe article is successively sliced so that the re- "sistance imparted by the cutting action does not interfere with the revolving movements of'the carrier units. a

The severed slices remain in the pockets until the adjacent carrier units discharge their contents upon a belt conveyor 33', which is driven by a sprocket and chain connection 34 from the shaft 2. Guides 35 on opposite sides of the upper length of the sprocket and chain connection 33 retain the slices thereon. V 1 g Fromthe above description it will be apparent that I have provided a simple and eflicient machine to which articles, such as pickles, may be fed,-and in the operation of the machine the a ends are successively trimmed, and after the article, is severed into slices the slices are discharged to a convevor delivering the-same to any suitable .locat1on.1 H" 7 numerous changes in details of construction,

arrangement and operation may be effected 'withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

a plurality of transversely arranged pockets torece1vearticles to be trimmed, means to impart continuous movement to said carrier,

a pair of stationary cutters arranged respectlvely on opposite sidesof sald carrier 1n staggered relation, a plunger individual tofand;

longitudinally ali ned with each pocket and movable with said carrier, and means to impart transverse shifting .movement to each plunger. with respect to the carrier after one end ofthe respective article has been trimmed thereby to position the opposite end thereof properly for trimming. A

2. A machine for trimmingthe ends of articles comprising an endless carrier having a plurality of transversely arranged pockets to receive articles to be trimmed, means to impart continuous movement'to said carrier, a pair of stationary cutters arranged respectively on opposite sides of said carrier in staggered relation, 'a plunger individual to and longitudinally aligned witheach pocket and movable with said carrier, and cam means to impart transverse shifting movement'to each plunger with respect to the carrier after one end of the respective article-has been trimmed thereby to position the opposite end thereof properly for trimming.

3. In a machine .of the class described, an endless carrier, means-to impart substantially continuous movement to said carrier, a.plurality. of sets of units on saidcarrier spaced to provide article-receiving pockets between adjacent sets, each set comprising a plurality of laterally spaced plates, a pair of cutters arranged respectively on opposite sides Y of said carrier in staggered relation and stationary with respect to said carrier, a device operable to shift articles transversely of said pockets respectively after one end thereof has ing pockets between adjacent sets, each set comprising a plurality of laterally spaced plates, a pair of cutters arranged respectively on opposite sides of said carrier wheel in staggered relation and stationary with respect to said wheel, a plunger individual to each pocket and movable with said wheel, means on said frame engageable with said plunger for imparting shifting movement thereto after one end of the respective article has been trimmed thereby to position the opposite end thereof properly for trimming, means for returning said plungers to normal position, and a plurality of cutter blades arranged in staggered relation for successively cutting each article into a plurality of slices, said cutter blades being positioned between said plates.

5. A machine for trimming the ends of articles comprising an endless carrier having a plurality of transversely arranged pockets to receive articles to be trimmed, means to impart continuous movement to said carrier, a pair of stationary cutters arranged respectively on opposite sides of said carrier in staggered relation, a plunger individual to and longitudinally aligned with each pocket and movable with said carrier, means to impart transverse shifting movement to each plunger with respect to the carrier after one end of the respective article has been trimmed thereby to position the opposite end thereof properly for trimming, and means adapted to receive the ends of the articles after the same are trimmed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

IRA G. SHARPE. 

